Make Them Look Cool
Every one of us has probably belonged to a fan club at one stage in our lives. As a child of the eighties, I’m familiar with the agony of waiting for an autographed photo to drop through the letterbox.
The chances are, the photo wasn’t authentically hand signed, but merely a duplicated print. But it didn’t matter. If the celebrity was current, it meant real bragging rights at school.
Fast forward to 2013.
Social platforms now give us the ability to communicate with any celebrity at the touch of button. No waiting for that duplicated photo to drop through the mail. Now we can actually have a conversation. What used to be a one-directional monologue (controlled by a PR department) has become a dialogue (with the real star themselves). (more…)
Why Don’t You Drink It?
When it comes to advertising claims, the majority of us are sceptics. And it’s no surprise. From beauty creams that make our wrinkles vanish, pills that make our hair grow back, or chocolate bars that are actually good for us. We’ve heard it all before.
A few years back, American entrepreneur Eric Ryan was in London launching his new product; a line of toilet cleaner.
As expected, the audience heard the usual spiel about amazing cleaning qualities. But Eric also claimed something else. He reckoned his product was harmless too. Unlike others, his contained no poisonous nasties. (more…)
Gone in a Flash
It started life over 130 years ago as a single chemists shop in Leicester. After years of trading, its owner Frank began to see an unusual demand from customers; they wanted to buy raw ingredients for photographic chemicals.
Frank’s son Alan immediately spotted an opportunity. In 1930’s Britain, photography was a pastime solely for the wealthy. Alan’s dream was to make it accessible to the masses.
He set about transforming his father’s chemists into a haven for photography. With prices at an average of 25% below his nearest competitor, Alan attracted immediate attention. The idea grew, and it wasn’t long before the father and son duo had opened a huge facility in Hinckley Road; later crowned the largest photography store on earth by Guinness World Records.
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Identity Crisis
Back in 2006, a video was uploaded to YouTube which perfectly captured the stark contrast between Apple and Microsoft’s thinking on marketing and design.
The humorous clip takes Apple’s original iPod packaging through a Microsoft-ified restyle, presenting a very clear view of each company’s approach to product packaging.
It would be easy for us to assume that the video was produced by some Apple nut, but in fact it was created by Microsoft’s packaging department, in an attempt to educate their own marketers! (more…)
The New Brand Guardian
There is no doubt that the Internet has revolutionised how we all shop. We’ve kissed goodbye to the endless stress and queues, opting instead to spend our hard-earned cash from the comfort of our own armchairs.
Our only concern when it comes to buying on-line is making sure that we are home when a courier calls. For one FedEx employee however, it doesn’t matter if you are indoors or not. He’s delivering regardless.
In this incredible clip snapped on a home security camera, the thoughtful driver carelessly tosses his delivery (an expensive computer monitor) straight over his customer’s fence. (more…)
Rediscover the Soul
It was meant to be THE launch. The event that would help rescue ailing telecoms company Nokia from its perilous slide into brand irrelevancy.
Last week to a packed audience in New York, Nokia Senior VP Jo Harlow unveiled the Lumia 920 smartphone; the device many predict will either make or break the struggling Finnish company.
Harlow beamed as she proudly proclaimed that the Lumia is ‘the most innovative smartphone in the world’. Unfortunately, the markets didn’t quite share her enthusiasm. Nokia’s share price slumped by 11.4% to a meagre $2.51 following the announcement.
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Popular Posts
- Your Customer is the Hero posted on August 15, 2012
- Steve Jobs and my Dad posted on April 2, 2012
- Gone in a Flash posted on January 16, 2013
- The New Brand Guardian posted on October 3, 2012
- Brand (You) posted on August 8, 2011
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